


That's What Friends Are For

by ereshai



Series: Various Prompt Fills [45]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Background Chris "Chowder" Chow/Caitlin Farmer, Background Relationships, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 19:11:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12416238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ereshai/pseuds/ereshai
Summary: Chowder has the perfect solution to Dex's kissing problem.Not that Dex has a kissing problem.





	That's What Friends Are For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silentawe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentawe/gifts).



“I know what you can do,” Chowder yelled as he burst into Dex and Nursey’s room. 

“About what?” Dex asked absently, not bothering to look up from his textbook. 

“About your kissing thing.”

Dex froze. There was no way Nursey, who was sitting on his bed  _right there_ , would have missed that. The chirps would never end. Dex would be eighty years old and he’d randomly run into Nursey at a senior center or something and that would be the first thing out of Nursey’s mouth.  _How’s your kissing thing, Poindexter?_

“I don’t have a kissing thing,” he insisted. Maybe he could salvage this. Nursey was looking at him, a smirk on his gorgeous face. He could admit Nursey was gorgeous, it was just objective fact. Gorgeous and relentless. “I know how to kiss. I’ve kissed plenty of people. Zero complaints.”

“But I thought...,” Chowder looked puzzled. “We were just talking about it earlier today. You were worried about kissing guys.”

Nursey perked up at that. Dex ignored him.  _Don’t blush, idiot_ , he told himself.

“Anyway,” Chowder went on, “you just need someone to practice with. A kissing buddy.”

Dex stared at him. “What?”     

“It was Farmer’s idea. She said you don’t feel so much pressure to be good at it with a kissing buddy. And then you gain confidence and that makes you good at it. Win-win.”

“Sounds like Farmer’s had some personal experience along those lines,” Nursey said. He was looking down at his notebook, doodling something.

“She has,” Chowder said enthusiastically. “She said it really helped her out. She’s a great kisser.”

“We know,” Dex groaned. He didn’t need to hear - again - how good Farmer was at kissing. Apparently Chowder’s braces were not remotely an issue for her.

“So?” Chowder was looking at him expectantly.

“What?” Dex said. “I said I know Farmer’s-“

“Kissing buddy, Poindexter,” Nursey said. “Are you going to ask someone to be your kissing buddy?”

“I’m not bad at kissing.” He turned a page, but he wasn’t really taking in anything he was reading.

“Of course not,” Chower said earnestly. “But this would help you get over being nervous. About kissing a guy, I mean.”

Dex scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fine. I’ll think about finding a kissing buddy. Satisfied?”

Chowder beamed and Dex had to smile, too. Dex never used to have friends who genuinely cared about him and wanted him to succeed, much less ones who tried to help him like this.

“So who’s it gonna be?” Nursey asked him. He was still doodling in his notebook.

“I don’t know,” Dex muttered. “I literally just started thinking about it.” He looked at Chowder.

“Oh, um… I would, Dex, but I don’t think I’d feel right. Farmer, you know.” Chowder looked at Nursey, his eyes wide.

“What? No, I wasn’t-“

“Chill, C, he just wants suggestions.” Nursey flipped his notebook closed and sat up. “You want names, Dex? I got names. I know at least three guys who’d kiss you today, no strings attached.”

“Thanks, Nurse, but I don’t think that will help.”

“Why not?”

“It’s just… I guess the thought of kissing a total stranger, even just to practice, makes me just as nervous as the thought of kissing someone I’m interested in. So what would be the point?”

“So it should be someone you know!” Chowder sat next to Nursey on his bed. “You know I would totally be your kissing buddy if I wasn’t dating Farmer, right?”

“I know.” Dex closed his book and tossed it aside; he wasn’t going to get any reading done until he had chosen someone to kiss, apparently.

“We’ll start with the team, obviously. Oh! Too bad Shitty isn’t around anymore. I bet he’d be your kissing buddy in a heartbeat.”

Dex and Nursey laughed.

“So would Ransom. Or Holster. Or both!” Chowder went on.

“Okay, how about actual candidates?”

“Bitty?” Chowder asked tentatively.

Dex started shaking his head immediately. “I think Bitty would have a well-bred Southern meltdown at the idea.”

“Yeah, casual’s not his thing, even if Jack wasn’t in the picture.” Nursey leaned back on his elbows. “Who else you got, Chow?”

“Ollie or Wicky?” Chowder didn’t look too sure, but then nobody was really sure what was going on with those two. They had a serious Ransom&Holster vibe going on, just quieter and with more speculation from everyone on the team.

Nursey sighed. “I’ll do it,” he said.

“Excuse me?” Dex blurted. Not that he didn’t want to kiss Nursey – he kinda really did, actually – but he also DID. NOT. WANT. TO. KISS. NURSEY. Because then Dex would have to stop lying to himself about how he felt and Nursey would figure out how he felt and a kissing buddy was supposed to be practice, not the real thing.

“That’s perfect,” Chowder cried. “Because you already know him _and_ he’s a great kisser.”

“Unless I make you nervous, Poindexter,” Nursey said quietly.

Dex forced his thoughts away from exactly how Chowder knew that Nursey was a great kisser. “Of course not,” he said automatically. There was no way in hell he would admit that he was. “Fine, you can be my kissing buddy.”

“You asking me or telling me?”

“You just said-“ Dex spluttered.

“Just messing with you,” Nursey said with a broad grin.

“This is great!” Chowder bounced a little on the bed and looked between the two of them expectantly.

“We’re not going to start right _now_ , Chowder.” Dex picked up his book and found the chapter he was supposed to be reading.

“Shouldn’t you audition him or something?”

“You just talked me into this; you even said he was a great kisser.”

“We should see if we’re kiss compatible, Dex,” Nursey said.

“Ugh, all right.” He tossed his book aside again and stood up. “Okay, let’s do this. On your feet, Nurse, it’s time for your audition kiss.”

Chowder hopped up and Nursey rolled off the bed, smoothly for once, and sauntered over to stand in front of him. Dex’s heart was pounding.

“Ready?” he said.

Dex nodded, then said, “Wait! What do I do with my hands?”

“Chill, Dex.” Nursey put his hands on Dex’s shoulders. “We’ll figure that out during actual practice.” Then he leaned forward and kissed him, soft and lingering. After a moment, Dex kissed him back.

“Okay?” Nursey asked when he finally pulled away.

Dex nodded. He didn’t try to say anything; he didn’t think his mouth could make words yet.

“This is ‘swawesome!” Chowder crowed.

Dex jerked his head around. “You can go now, Chow. Your work here is done.” His voice was a little huskier than usual, but hopefully neither of them would notice.

“Sure,” Chowder said happily, heading for the door. “Have fun practicing, you two.”

“We will,” Nursey said with a smile.

“Can I get back to studying now? Is that a thing that can happen, please?” Dex grumbled. His stomach felt like he was on a roller coaster.

“No one’s stopping you,” Nursey said and went back to his bed. He flipped open his notebook and started writing.

“Bye,” Chowder called as he left.

Dex settled down with his book again, hoping it would help calm him down. This was going to be the best and worst thing that ever happened to him, he just knew it.

~

“And that’s how I got them to kiss. Pay up, Cait.” Chris held out his hand and Cait slapped a rumpled dollar bill into his palm.

“What if kissing practice doesn’t work?” she asked him. She sat down in his lap and put her arm around his shoulders. He gave her a quick kiss.

“Then I’ll suggest dating practice,” he said with a shrug. “It shouldn’t be too long before they finally admit they actually like each other.”

“I hope you’re right.” Cait shifted until she was facing him a little more.

“Me too. Their UST is killing me.” He put a hand on her waist. “Hey, Caitlin?”

“Yes, Christopher?” She leaned into him, an expectant smile on her face.

“Wanna practice kissing with me some more?”

She kissed him in reply.

**Author's Note:**

> How does Chowder know Nursey is a good kisser? Find out [here](http://archiveofourown.org/comments/133406508).


End file.
